Upon reading a couple essays in class today, I just had to comment on how amazing everyone's lives seem when they "show, don't tell." The Nabakovian magic of enchanting is aided by good stories, but good storytelling is the primary way to enchant readers.
After reading the various short stories and presenting projects about them, I think we all gained familiarity with writing styles that pull the reader in, and whether or not it was conscious, reflected some of those strategies in our college essay drafts. I read two seriously captivating essays, and even enjoyed some lines that the authors didn't find to be particularly revealing or interesting.
Even in my own essay, I found that the parts readers enjoyed the most were the parts that I was the most self-conscious about, or that I didn't think would work. Taking risks really is important, and if we write with central themes and/or the prompt in mind, often times we convey our message and characters without even recognizing it.
So this has turned almost into a cheesy motivational speech, and maybe I'm just feeling particularly optimistic, but I think that as we revise our essays we should be confident in what we write and let the spirit take us, so to speak, with becoming Nabakovian writers. Honesty, creativity, and confidence can be perceived by the reader, and when combined can form a captivating story. I read some great lines today and I'm sure there are more out there, so words of encouragement, I guess, keep writing!
Thank you Rachel for writing this! I feel like we all need that "motivational speech" in this time of college apps. I love how you point out how interesting we are to others but not to ourselves and I feel like that is important in the college essay process. We need to be ourselves and that is just enough to spark the readers attention.
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